The wind stirred as night swallowed the forest. A faint chill swept through the trees, and the air thickened with unease.
Yukishiro's eyes snapped open. Strangely, from the moment he had drifted off until now, his "Total Concentration · Constant breathing" had not broken once. He was aware of everything—of the forest shifting into silence, of the creeping tension in the air, and of the strange girl using his lap as her pillow.
His legs were numb, but she remained fast asleep.
She said she would keep watch… yet she's the one who fell into the deepest sleep of all. This girl has no sense of crisis whatsoever.
With a sigh, Yukishiro lifted his hand and tapped her cheek lightly. Her lips parted, murmuring something indistinct.
"Wake up. Enough sleeping."
He patted her again, and though her endless chatter annoyed him, he couldn't deny her pink, rounded face was oddly pleasant to press against.
"Hmm? Is dinner ready?"
Mitsuri blinked awake, yawning, her lips pursed. She rubbed her eyes like a child and turned to see Yukishiro's icy stare. A small smile spread across her face.
"You're awake, Yukishiro!" she said with genuine delight.
This girl… where does her cheerfulness come from? No worry, no caution. Just smiles. No wonder people don't like her. Low self-esteem aside, her silly laughter must drive them away too.
"It's getting dark," Yukishiro said flatly. "We need to be ready."
Only then did Mitsuri lift her head to take in the forest. The sky dimmed quickly, as though the shadows swallowed it whole. Even the smell of the air had changed—faintly fishy, restless, filled with danger.
Her expression finally grew a little serious. But it lasted only an instant before she looked at him again with that same gentle trust.
"Let's eat first," Yukishiro muttered. "We won't have time once it begins."
He reached for his pack. As he bent, a glimmer of pale light caught his eye. It was coming from Mitsuri's chest—her shirt had come undone, and half her full breasts were spilling free into the night air.
Yukishiro's heart lurched. His face burned crimson. He snapped his head away so fast that he struck the cliff wall, pain searing through his nose.
"Yukishiro? Are you okay?" Mitsuri leaned forward quickly, concern in her voice.
"Stay back!" he barked, waving frantically, his eyes squeezed shut. "Cover it! Fast!"
"…Cover?" She tilted her head, confused. Then, following his gaze, she finally noticed her own shirt. The buttons had given way again.
"Eh? Broken again?" she muttered casually.
"Again?!" Yukishiro's skin crawled. Just how often does this happen?
What sort of monster is this girl?!
Mitsuri seemed entirely unfazed. "There, all fixed." She refastened the cloth as though it were no more serious than adjusting her sandals.
Yukishiro risked a glance. The shirt was closed again, but his face remained hot. "You're a girl! How can you be so careless? If your clothes keep falling apart, wear something else! Do you know how much trouble you cause others?!"
The brightness drained from her face. Her shoulders drooped, and her gaze fell to the ground.
"I'm… sorry. I didn't mean to. I don't have other clothes. I left home… secretly."
Her voice was so small it barely reached him.
The anger in Yukishiro's chest melted into guilt. He hadn't thought before scolding her. If she ran away without even spare clothes or food… then she truly had nothing.
His eyes flicked toward her gear. As expected, aside from the standard-issue Nichirin blade, she carried nothing at all.
He swallowed his sigh and pulled out his own pack. Inside were neat stacks of meat-and-vegetable patties and bottles of water—provisions prepared thoughtfully by the Butterfly Mansion attendants.
He handed one over. "Eat."
Placing the pack between them, he added, "The test's only just begun. Eat while you still can. In a few days, none of us will have the appetite."
Mitsuri hesitated, staring at the food with wide eyes.
Her stomach growled. She offered him an embarrassed smile before taking one and biting eagerly.
Yukishiro shook his head. Strange creatures, women. Strange and unpredictable.
"Where are we going next?" she asked between bites.
"Nowhere. We're staying put."
She blinked.
"We don't know the terrain. Wandering's too dangerous. The two little girls who explained the rules said only that we must survive seven days. They never said how. If we hide and last until then, it still counts as passing."
Mitsuri nodded firmly. "I'll listen to you."
After a pause, she tilted her head. "But… Why didn't you join Kimura's team? They seemed to want you. If you agreed, they'd surely welcome you."
Yukishiro gave her a sharp look. This woman really doesn't understand anything.
"Why should I? What does it matter if they 'like' me? I don't know them. Their approval means nothing."
Mitsuri chewed on his words like she was tasting them. "I think… I would have been happy if they invited me. But they didn't."
"Hmph. Of course not. Not everyone's foolish enough to drag along dead weight. How did you even survive this long?"
But Mitsuri only smiled at his sharp tone. She saw something he didn't say aloud—that by insulting her, by keeping her at his side, he had accepted her.
"That's why I'm following you," she said simply.
Yukishiro turned his face away, but the corner of his mouth twitched against his will.